The IEEE 802.11p protocol is a “vehicle-to-vehicle” (“V2V”) communications standard to allow mobile entities such as automobiles to interact with one another. This interaction includes the exchange of speed and direction information between the mobile entities. The information may be used to avoid collisions or to estimate the best route or path to proceed along when moving through traffic.
The 802.11p standard also contemplates communication between mobile entities and stationary hubs. This communication may involve exchange of information such as map or topographical information, toll payment, traffic and weather.
The benefits of communication standards such as 802.11p should be apparent. However, the deployment (or “roll-out”) of vehicles with the necessary equipment could take many years, thus delaying full realization of these benefits. Some vehicles lacking 802.11p equipment may remain on the road long after the initial introduction. Therefore, one-hundred percent (100%) adoption of 802.11p may not take place for decades.
The slow roll-out of 802.11p reduces its usefulness of 802.11p equipped vehicles as they will not gain the benefits of V2V communication with unequipped vehicles. Thus, it is highly desirable to have a way of achieving at least some of the gains of V2V communications without requiring all vehicles to incorporate V2V equipment.